2017 Annual Convention

Keynote Speaker: John Reardon, Christie's

John Reardon first became interested in clocks and watches while interning at the AmericanWatch and Clock Museum in his hometown of Bristol, Connecticut, where he learned clock repair and restoration. While completing a degree in history and languages, he worked as a curatorial assistant at the Willard House and Clock Museum in Grafton, Massachusetts. His passion for all things horological brought him to the auction world in New York in the 1990s where his academic and commercial focus turned to watches. In 2001, he joined Patek Philippe USA and became a noted author, writer and researcher in all things related to the famous Swiss manufacture. After a decade with Patek Philippe, he rejoined the auction world and is presently the International Head of Watches at Christie’s. He is a contributing writer for the "Life And Times" feature in the Patek Philippe Magazine and has written three books on the history of watches, most notably Patek Philippe in America: Marketing the World’s Foremost Watch.

Servicing the Accutron: Larry Blanchard, CMW21

Watchmaker Laurence Blanchard, CMW21 has been servicing Accutron movements since their introduction in 1960, and was an employee of the Bulova Watch Company. In his two-hour seminar, Laurence will draw upon his decades of experience to show you the proper techniques and service procedures unique to the Bulova Accutron caliber 218.

Laurence apprenticed in Crown Point, Indiana, starting in 1954. He then graduated with honors from the Elgin Watch College, Elgin, Illinois, in 1959. His specialties include service and restoration of Bulova Accutrons and vintage American wrist and pocket timepieces. A member of AWCI since its inception in 1960, he has spent over 60 years in the industry, and is currently a watchmaker at Palmer’s Jewelry in Kokomo, Indiana.

The American Style Time & Strike Movement: Ken De Lucca

The overall objective of this hands-on session is to be introduced to the American style, time and strike movement. These clocks are often the "bread-and-butter" of many shops. Following the guidelines of the CC21 Standards & Practices, the movement will be disassembled and completely inspected. Adjustments will be made to restore pendulum action, strike action, strike point, and overall proper operation. A series of questions will be addressed to participants regarding this style of clock. Knowing many clockmakers have had many years of experiences with this style of clock, a sharing of ideas and suggestions will form a component of this session as well.

Ken De Lucca has taught technical, laboratory based courses for over 32 years. A 16-year member of the
NAWCC, he is also a graduate of the School of Horology (2007). Ken spent the academic year of 2015-2016 at West Dean College (England), in the Clock Conservation Program. He is employed part-time at Zimmerman Jewelers (York, PA). His modest business in clocks is called The Clockmender.

Selecting & Maintaining a Lathe for Use in Horology

In this two-hour session, Andrew Dekeyser, CW21 and Keaton Myrick, CW21 will show you how to select the lathe that is right for you. They’ll demonstrate how to care for small lathes used in horology, as well as advise you on key aspects when purchasing a new or used lathe. They will then go in depth to outline the numerous capabilities of various lathes and discuss common areas to look for damage or wear.

Andrew DeKeyser, CW21, has been restoring clocks and watches since high school, where he studied under Arnold Van Tiem. After high school, he attended the Lititz Watch Technicum and graduated with his WOSTEP and LWT diplomas. Today he owns and operates HCPWatchmaking in Sisters, Oregon. He is learning clock manufacturing under the tutelage of Ed Beacham of Beacham’s Clock Company.

Keaton Myrick is a graduate of the Lititz Watch Technicum in Pennsylvania. Upon graduation he earned his WOSTEP degree and a CW21 certification. After working as a watchmaker for Rolex he moved back to Oregon to establish his own workshop as an Independent Watchmaker specializing in restoration of rare and complicated watches. Keaton spent the next 5 years outfitting his workshop to be a complete manufacturer of luxury timepieces and he is now producing watches under his name for a global clientele. His work can be seen at www.keatonmyrick.com.

Appraising for Clockmakers and Watchmakers: Joe Jabbour, MD, ISA

Joe Jabbour, MD, ISA, is a certified appraiser specializing in clock appraisals, and he is a member of the International Society of Appraisers. In this two-hour seminar, Joe will discuss the different types of appraisals and share some of the essential knowledge that a clockmaker or watchmaker must possess before performing an appraisal.

Joe Jabbour is a specialty appraiser of clocks and watches in the DC Metro area. He trained through NAWCC and the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) to fulfill the requirements of that field. He
is Chairman of the Ethics Committee of AWCI, First Vice President of the Horological Association of Virginia, and a past President of the Potomac Clock Guild, where he is also an ongoing student at the
clock repair course. He is working on reviving the clock appraisal course at NAWCC. He is a member of AWCI, NAWCC, and ISA. His article “Appraising Clocks and Watches in the Marketplace” appeared in the May issue of the Horological Times. Joe is a retired plastic surgeon from New York and lives with his wife of 45 years in Northern Virginia.

Switzerland’s Watch Woes: The impact of overproduction, e-commerce, smartwatches, millennials, and more

Prominent Industry Analyst Joe Thompson will address the current state of the swiss watch industry. Joe always has his finger on the pulse of the Swiss industry, and in this two-hour presentation he will break down all the data and analyze the factors involved in the creating the current economic climate, and the possible effects it will have on watchmakers.

Since 1977, Joe Thompson has written about watches and the global watch market for publications such as Esquire, Town & Country, Golf Digest, and Bilanz, Switzerland’s top business magazine. As an industry analyst, he is consulted by media outlets such as the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, and NPR. Thompson spoke at AWCI’s 25th-anniversary convention in 1985 and was the keynote speaker at the 50th-anniversary convention in 2010.

Troubleshooting with Tom: Tom Schomaker, CMW21

Streamline your troubleshooting techniques; learn how to efficiently find and diagnose problems by tracing issues back to their source.  Tom will demonstrate how to use your timing machine and other tools in your workshop to quickly isolate and correct faults.  Then take the opportunity to put these procedures into practice, during the hands on portion of this class.

Chronometer Watches and the use of CAD-CAM & CNC for Watch Repair: Ernest Tope, CMW21

Get an introduction to the chronometer escapement and take part in a discussion covering several types of chronometer watches.  Then, learn the basics of CNC and CAD-CAM, and see how to use a small CNC milling machine to make a setting bridge and a ratchet wheel.